Spoiler warning: there will be many discussions of plot points and characters below, so if you haven't read these books yet, you may wish to give this section a pass. You have been warned.
Week Nine and hoobah, IN THE COMPANY OF VAMPIRES brings us more Viking ghosts! I do love them. I particularly love them in this book because they are so determined to be helpful.
THE BOOK
If only a broken heart were all she had to deal with… …but there are Viking ghosts, gods, werebeings, and one sexy as sin vampire on Francesca’s case. And her biggest trouble is Loki, the trickster god.
When Fran arrives at Goth-Faire to deal with him, things go from bad to worse, for her immortal ex, Benedikt, is there…with a new girlfriend. Shapesifters, Vikings, and a town filled with deranged opera fans…it’s a good thing Fran’s no ordinary mortal…
BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF: HOW THE BOOK CAME TO BE
One day I was talking to Editor Laura about what ideas I had for upcoming books, and out of the blue, Ben and Fran popped into my head. Now, ever since their YA books first came out, and the series was cut prematurely short, I've received e-mails from people who wanted to know what happened to them, and when the next book would be out.
Five years later, the idea of bringing them into the adult world finally seemed feasible, so I pitched the idea to Editor Laura, and she, being a woman of good taste, immediately agreed that it was something I would Have To Do.
It's only when I sat down to write the book that the biggest obstacle hit me--how could I keep Ben and Fran apart long enough for Fran to grow up? At the end of Circus of the Darned she was 17 (or close to it), which meant I had to slap 5 years on her in order to put her in my comfort zone, age-wise. But Ben loved her! And she loved Ben! How could I manipulate them to be apart for so long, in a way that was believable and true to the storyline?
After much thinking, and consumption of chocolate (it makes the brain cells fire better), I finally worked out some deviousness, and started writing the book.
BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF: THE VIKINGS
There were two requests from readers when I announced that I was going to write the new book--they wanted the Vikings, and another shower scene. The latter was taken care of pretty easily (and with much enjoyment), but the former...oh, those Vikings.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE them, but they tend to take over any scene they're in, and I knew I was going to have to limit their scenes just so other characters could have a chance to see and do things. I also limited the Viking ghosts to just three, my three favorites.
For their clothing, I visited some uber expensive men's designers' sites, and picked the most outrageous combination of clothing possible, although to be honest, the Vikings were pretty happy just wandering around in their underwear.
One of the things I love most about the Vikings is their enthusiasm for life. I guess being a ghost gives you that take on things, but they always leaped whole-heartedly into whatever scheme caught their fancy, be it joining an acrobatic troupe, or helping out at a Brunhilde race. And I find that wholly endearing.
For the record, because I know someone will ask, yes, the Vikings are back in the next vampire book, along with Ben and Fran.
BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF: THE ORIGINAL PLOT
The following is a snippet from the original plot notes:
-----BEGIN ORIGINAL PLOT NOTES---
Main characters:
• Petra Larson: 24, straight short black hair, tall
• Dafydd Llwyd (aka David Lloyd): werepanther, and all around hunky guy. Short brown hair, amber eyes, few inches taller than Petra.
• Francesca Ghetti: younger sister of Petra, resembles her a lot. Has shoulder-length black hair with bangs.
• Benedikt Czerny: vampire with long black hair and dark eyes. Tattoos on arms. Rides a motorcycle, and sports a black leather jacket.
Petra Larson spent almost twenty-four years thinking she was the black sheep of the family, the one who didn't fit in, the only daughter of three who try as she might, just couldn't master the family ability of speaking with the dead.
When her family takes up residence in Paris to run Goety and Theurgy, an Otherworld bar, Petra is resigned to being a stranger in a strange land, but that all changes on the eve of her twenty-fourth birthday. First there was the strange meeting in G&T with a red-haired Guardian named Noelle, a woman who made odd sorts of references about horns and being wakened and what sort of sword she favored. Then there was a wholly unsettling experience with a vampire who mistook her for someone else. Not even the incredibly sexy guy who’s with him, the one with the funny Welsh name, is enough to keep her from worrying about just what the vampire wants.
-----END ORIGINAL PLOT NOTES-----
Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's all this about Petra?
Yup, the original idea for this book had the focus on Petra, and Ben and Fran delegated to secondary characters. After writing out an entire plot outline, I decided that just wasn't what I (or readers) wanted--we wanted to see Ben and Fran get their happy ever after. So I scrapped that idea and demanded the muse give me another story.
She responded with nine single-space pages of plot, which I won't post here because there's basically nothing changed between the writing of the plot and the actual book. Sometimes the muse really zips along on all four thrusters.
BEHIND THE SCENES STUFF: THE CHARACTERS
Petra was always intended to be the star of her own book, the same book for which a tiny bit of plot is shown above. Once I wrote the new Ben and Fran book, I figured she'd spin off into her own series, and I still intend for her to do that, although she may not be in the series I originally envisioned. Rest assured that she will be in at least one other book, though. I'm not done with her by a long shot.
Miranda, Fran's mom, was also kind of left up in the air on purpose. I've been toying with the idea of writing a story for her, even though she's a more "mature" heroine than the others, but I think she has some lovely issues that would be fun to torment her wi...er...play with, and I love the idea of a Wiccan heroine. She'll get put on the musey back burner to let her simmer until I'm ready for her.
And Imogen, sweet Imogen who can't give her heart to a mortal. What happens to her? Well, you'll have to dive into the next book to find out.
ENTHRALLED CONNECTION
No connection whatsoever, except in the future. As in the next book in the series. Be patient. That book is worth waiting for. :)
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